This invention relates to new imidazole derivatives and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts. The compounds are protein-tyrosine kinase inhibitors, especially inhibitors of c-met and src kinases and are therefore excellent therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions which contain these new compounds as active agents for the treatment of cancer and cancer related diseases.
WO 96/18626 describes inhibitors of tyrosine kinases and c-met kinase which are derivatives of 2-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-4-phenyl-5-(pyridin-4yl)-1H-imidazole (examples 5, 6 and 55). However they show unfavorable cytochrome P450 interactions.
It has now been found that the compounds according to this invention avoid this disadvantage and are potent inhibitors of c-met kinase and src family tyrosine kinase with good solubility.